Porcupine Island fire contained

A small fire on Porcupine Island in Kenai Lake is contained and being monitored.

The fire on the island, between Seward and Cooper Landing in the Chugach National Forest, never grew larger than about 2.9 acres, according to a notice from the U.S. Fire Service released Thursday.

Alicia King with Chugach National Forest public affairs said officials became aware of the fire Monday evening.

Its cause is still being investigated, she said.

“We really are encouraging people to make sure that if they start a campfire or some kind of other fire at their camp site … that they make sure that they get that extinguished,” King said.

King got word firefighters felt confident the fire had been contained first thing Thursday morning, she said.

Crew members were mopping up the fire’s edges Wednesday and continue to monitor it.

Some tips for preventing the spread of fire in wildland areas were listed in the Forest Service’s release, and include making sure fires are cold to the touch when putting them out, not burying fires underground where they can continue to smolder, stirring ashes with a shovel and allowing wood to burn all the way to ash if possible.

Reach Megan Pacer at megan.pacer@peninsulaclarion.com.

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